So you login and you get an error message, "Your account has been closed (8)." Your account was detected using a third-party program (hack) with one of Blizzards games on Battle.net. Your account is now permanently banned. Any third-party program that is designed to affect the way the user interacts with Battle.net is considered a hack program. This includes seemingly harmless third-party utilities that work with the game to provide functions that were not included by the game designers. While many of these utilities might not have been created to disrupt the balance of the game, they alter the original design of the program. The detection of any such program by Battle.net may result in the closure of the user's account or even the temporary or permanent banning of the associated CD-Key.

If this is the first offense then your CDKey will be unbanned after approximately 30 days. If this is a second time offense then your CDKey is banned permanently and the only solution is to buy a new set.

Your account will be banned until is expires in 90 days of inactivity, in which you can then remake and reuse it. Your account will not be unbanned for any reason.

For further information, see here:
(http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=21642).

If it says that your CD-key was disabled, this link applies:
(http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=20637).

If you get the error saying that your CD-key is disabled for ladder play, then this link applies:
(http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=20632).

If you get the error that your CD-key is disabled for realm play, then this link applies:
(http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=20635).

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On October 31st, 2008, Blizzard decided it was time to crack down on hackers on Battle.net once again.

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Q u o t e:
In an ongoing endeavor to ensure a fair and fun online experience for all Warcraft III players, we will be escalating our efforts to remove cheaters from Battle.net. We have identified and closed over 7,700 accounts which were found to be using third-party hacks. The CD keys associated with these accounts are now restricted from playing any ladder games and/or custom for 30 days. Repeat offenders will have their accounts closed and their CD keys permanently banned from Battle.net.

Going forward, we will take a hard-line stance against cheating in all Battle.net games, and we reserve the right to close the accounts and ban the CD keys of players who are caught cheating on Battle.net.

These changes are intended to promote fun and competitive play on Battle.net in both ladder and custom games. Cheating ruins the game experience for legitimate players, and we will not tolerate it.

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On November the 11th, 2008, Blizzard decided it was time to crack down even harder...

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Q u o t e:
As part of our continued effort to ensure a fair and fun online experience for all Battle.net players, we have expanded our efforts to remove cheaters from StarCraft and Diablo II. We have identified and closed over 350,000 StarCraft and Diablo II accounts which were found to be using third-party hacks.

The Diablo II CD keys associated with the closed Diablo II accounts are now restricted from playing on Battle.net for approximately 30 days. Repeat offenders will have their accounts closed and their CD keys permanently banned from Battle.net.

As a reminder, we reserve the right to close the accounts and ban the CD keys of players who are caught cheating on Battle.net. Cheating ruins the game experience for legitimate players, and we will not tolerate it.

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On May 20, 2009, Blizzard felt the need to continue their aggressive stance:

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Q u o t e:
Blizzard Entertainment feels very strongly about cheating over Battle.net. We believe that multiplayer cheats and hacks undermine the basic rules of fair play and weaken any sense of true competition and online gaming enjoyment. We would like to remind everybody that the use of any third-party software in conjunction with the game to modify Battle.net and/or change game play may result in account closures and a possible suspension of access to Battle.net. Third-party may include, but is not limited to any program that allows you to run multiple instances of the game at the same time, cheats, hacks, and/or bots. To continue our aggressive stance on cheat/shacks, we will be monitoring Custom games as well as Ladder games on Battle.net.

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Seems like they're back in the game now, April 20, 2010.

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Q u o t e:
We’ve recently banned over 320,000 Warcraft III and Diablo II accounts that were found to be violating the Battle.net Terms of Use. If this is a first offense, the CD key associated with the banned account will be suspended for 30 days, while repeat offenders will see their keys banned permanently. All account ban decisions are final.

We would like all players to remember that abuse of unintended mechanics and/or use of third party programs is a violation of the agreement made when signing on to Battle.net, and can subject your account to disciplinary action up to and including a permanent ban of its access to the service. These types of activities can severely impact the stability of our servers, and we’ll continue to aggressively monitor Battle.net in order to protect the service and its players from the harmful effects of cheating.

Many account closures come as the direct result of tips emailed to our hacks team by legitimate Battle.net users. If you come across a hack, find a site responsible for distributing hacks, or have a replay of a newly available hack, please report this to our hacks team at hacks@blizzard.com or through our Hacks Report Form at http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&tag=hacksform

As always, thank you for your continued support, and we'll see you on Battle.net!

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Source: http://www.battle.net/

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Q u o t e:
what sixen said.

Plus, give us new 4v4rt maps for warcraft 3.

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Lawl, /facepalm.

I have one problem with this though. Don't get me wrong, I'm the biggest supporter of this cause, but why do I find that after reinstalling Diablo after quite some time that one of my accountshas been banned as well. I know exactly what response I will get to this, as I'm sure all 350,00 owners of all 350,000 banned accounts have tried appealing, and in no way am I trying to argument my sincerity (since that's oimpossible over internet) but how come Hsklrcrew has been banned, but my other accounts haven't. Please if any one can contact me about this, because I find it strange that after half a year of absence I find my best account banned. Let's be realistic and consider the possibility of an error. I wasn't even online at the time of this mass ban, how can blizzard check me then any way?

Again, I'm not trying to prove my sincerity, but please someone contact me about this, even if unbanning is impossible (as I'm pretty sure it is). I'm not even looking for compassion, hell it's just a game I'll be just fine thanks very much but it agrivates me that I out of all people have a stray ban on my hands. All my D2 mates back in the day hacked and I've refused all offers to join in (that's one more reason why this all sucks, because I've earn all those pixels by working for them instead of using map hack or for whatever reason Hsklrcrew was banned). Well PM me someone, I'll be tomb running or something, who knows, might drop me a frostburn.

Joost: Check your thread:
(http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=14318881200).

About this, my acc was banned the other day. I dont have any third party progs. i dont run any bots, i dont use loader, i have 3x computer all with different cd keys. 1 of my accs get banned, but all the others stay. Then the next day i come back, my main cd key has been banned, and my other computers can't even connect to b.net west,east,euro, or Asia. Why is this? can you check on the acc, G_MaN. Thank you.

Send an e-mail to support@blizzard.com.

If after attempting to enter battle.net, watching the usual "Querying Gateway. Accessing Account..etc" then getting kicked out a split second after that mean that your CD-Key is banned? I tried restarting starcraft, waiting 5-10 minutes before trying again, and reinstalling. What does this mean?

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Q u o t e:
If after attempting to enter battle.net, watching the usual "Querying Gateway. Accessing Account..etc" then getting kicked out a split second after that mean that your CD-Key is banned? I tried restarting starcraft, waiting 5-10 minutes before trying again, and reinstalling. What does this mean?

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Check out your thread:
(http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=15443408526).

Hello,
Just got my CD banned, probably because I used a third party tool.
Somehow Blizz forced me into it, as I used it to get rid of the Uber Tristram portal bug, and NOT to cheat.
This was my first time I ever used any third party junk.

Anyway, the question is, can you tell me if my UsEast account is banned as well (because I can't log in with it on this forum).
Also, If I get a new CD-key, can I access my account? (I know it must be written somewhere...but didn't find).

Thanks alot.

Blizzard never forced you to hack. Try e-mailing support@blizzard.com, they'll be able to tell you if the account is banned. And if you get a new CDKey, you'll be able to access a non-banned account. If your account was banned, it's gone.

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Q u o t e:
Blizzard never forced you to hack. Try e-mailing support@blizzard.com, they'll be able to tell you if the account is banned. And if you get a new CDKey, you'll be able to access a non-banned account. If your account was banned, it's gone.

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Thanks for the response, I mailed them.

I agree I (partially) deserve the ban. But this is only a consequence of their poor game design. What was I suppose to do...forget the fact that I lost 4-5 days of mindless farming just to get those keys and start all over again, just for a really stupid programming mistake...it was no thanks for me.

They just lost a honest player, while many real hackers and dupists still thrive. GG Blizz

I'm sure you could've figured out something to do instead of hacking... You don't have to hack to play correctly... What happened, if I may ask?

Well the bug goes like this: You need to cube 9 keys to open 3 portals to Uber Tristram (3 keys for a portal). If you do this while you characters stays in the same position, the portals may overlap, preventing you to click them. All this 'hack' did was to move the portals 1 inch apart, so I can click them. THAT's ALL. And there was no other way, I asked around on forums.

I feel like going to jail for stealing a cookie :)

Ah yes, that's happened to me once before.. It sucks.. But I just ate the bullet and went on with it, -_-;. The point is, a hack is a hack, no matter how minuscule.

Obligatory you're a Blizzard fanboy DIAF post, etc etc